Key Terms

Brain Injury Screening – A screen used to profile a students’ history with brain injury and the side effects observed due to brain injury.

Comprehensive Health Assessment – A tool used to gather information about a students’ medical history.

Concussion – Concussions range in significance from minor to major, but they all share one common factor — they temporarily interfere with the way your brain works. They can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance and coordination (MayoClinic, 2009).

Functional Observation – A tool used to gather information about a student and form a plan from information gathered.

HCP – The Health Care Program for Children with Special Needs. This organization seeks to ensure statewide access to integrated, family-centered, community-based programs and services. Local offices work closely with community residents, providers, agencies and civic leaders.

IEP – Individualized Education Programs are designed to meet the unique educational needs of one child, as defined by federal regulations helps kids reach their goals. An IEP has components mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004.

Medical Documentation of a TBI – Best practice is to establish traumatic brain injury through medical documentation via hospital records and/or from a doctor or clinician who has knowledge of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) requirements for TBI. These classifications are based on a severity rating of mild, moderate and severe.

Progress Monitor – scientifically based practice that is used to assess students’ academic performance and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction. Progress monitoring can be implemented with individual students or an entire class (National Center on Student Progress Monitoring, 2009).

REAP – A concussion management program based on culmination of a study funded by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) from 2004 to 2007.

RTI – Response to Intervention integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavior problems. With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities (RTI Center, 2009).

TBI Identification Protocol – A flowchart that provides school professional guidelines to provide services for students with traumatic brain injury.

TBI Matrix Guide – The matrix is provided as a general guideline for educators and professionals. It was developed as a beginning “reference point” for professionals working with students where a traumatic brain injury is suspected or known to be present. The matrix offers a wide range of suggested assessment tools and intervention strategies for students with TBI. It covers the 14 areas of processing/learning most commonly affected by a TBI.

Traumatic Brain Injury – A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury (CDC, 2009).

504 Plan – This plan refers to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act and spells out the modifications and accommodations that will be needed for these students to have an opportunity perform at the same level as their peers.